Machine for bending road scraper blades



(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 1.

CT. W. TAPT. MACHINE FOR BENDING ROAD SGRAPER BLADES. No. 411,940. Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

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4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Mom.)

G. W. TAFT. MACHINE POB. BBNDING ROAD SGRAPBR BLADES. No. 411.940. `'Patented Oct. 1, 1889.

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MACHINE POB, BENDING ROAD SGRAPER'BLADES. No. 411,940. Patnted'ot. 1, 1889.

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(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4. G. W. TAPT.

MAGHINE FOR BENDING ROAD SGRAPER BLADES.. No. 411,940.

Patented Oct. 1, 11889.v

fry/EJ; 22724' Nrrnn Srarns GEORGE WARNER TAFT, OF KENNET SQUARE, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE FOR BENDING SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters RoAnf-scmirenr BLADES.

Patent No. 411,940, dated October 1, 1889.

Application filed May l5, 1889. Serial No, 310,911. (No model.)

T @ZZ whom, t may con/cern.:

Be it known that I, GEORGE VARNER TAFT, a citizen ot the United States, residing at Kennett Square, in the county of Chester and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Bending Road-Scraper Blades or Forming Curved Plates, of which the following, to-

gether with the accompanying drawings, is a specification sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable persons skilled in the art to which this invention appertai ns to make and use the same.

The object of my present invention is to provide an efficient machine in which metal plates for road-scraper blades can be practically and conveniently bent or formed to the desired curvature or shape and for other similar purposes; also, to provide in a machine for the purpose above named an adjustable gripping mechanism for retaining the advance edge of the plate in connection with the pattern, mold, or former and means for operating the same; also, to afford means for forward and backward operation of the meehanisin.

My invention consists in a machine constructed and organized for operation, as eX- plained in the following description, the particular features of invention claimed being hereinafter definitely specified.

In the drawings,Figure 1 is a front view of my improved plate-bending machine. Fig. 2 is a pla-n view of the same. Fig. 3 is atransverse vertical section. Fig. 3 is a view of one of the end standards with the presserconnection. Fig. 4 is a bottom view of one end of the shapingformer. Fig. 5 shows the gearing that connects the former and bedroll. Fig. 6 is a section of the former and bed-roll. Fig. 7 is a section of the grippingjaw, drawn toa larger scale. Fig. 8 shows the guard-fillet and lifting-lug separate from the end of the former.'

In reference to parts, A denotes the frame; B, the bender or bed-roll, and C the pattern, shaping-former. or die, upon and to which the plate is curved or shaped by the conjoint action of said former and bender rolling together.

The fra-me can be of any suitable construction for supporting the Operating parts. In

the present insta-nce it is composed ot a bed of rolled girders connected with end frames, and uprights, housings, or standards that support the respective journal-boxes. The uprights are preferably pairs of round rods or bolts a, supported in connection with the end frame, and having at their top head-pieces A2, that carry the pressure-adjusting screws and fulcrum-,joints for the pressure-levers, while the ends ot the standard-bolts are fitted with nuts for supporting the strain of the bending mechanism.

The bender or bed-roll B is support-ed to turn in the bearing-boxes a at the end housings, and gears B of large diameter are provided tixed on the journals of said roll at the outside oi' the bearings.

The pattern or former C is journaled in adjustable boxes a?, that are supported and guided by the housings or standards a. Said former is arranged to vhave a rolling or swinging action, and is fitted with a curved tace c, corresponding to the shape required for the scraper-blade, against which face the plates are bent and shaped. The former is provided with gear-segments C' at its ends that mesh with gears l) on the ends ot" the bed-roll B, so that the two surfaces will move together substantially in unison, or as required for giving the proper bending or molding action.

D indicates `a gripping jaw or plate arranged along the rear edge of the former C, and connected thereto by hinging-joints or loose-fitting bolts d, so as to afford an opening and shutting action to said jaw. The front edge' of the jaw is beveled, and to its rear are attached a series of backwardly-extendingarins e, the outer ends of which are connected with a laterally-disposed bar or piece E, which serves as a connection for raising the arms c for opening the jaw D and also as a weight for pressing said jaw closed. A lever F is provided for raising the bar E and thereby opening the jaw D, when desired. The former is best provided with an ottset bar C2, attached to its face longitudinally at or near the front part thereof, the purpose of which is to form the offset edge-seat on the scraper-blades. This bar can be rcmoved or omitted when desired, and the former used plain when simply curved plates are to be shaped. If in any instance it is desired, the former can be made with the offset G2 integral instead of removably attached.

G is a long shaft arranged to turn in bearings g at the back of the machine, and which carries pinions G', that mesh with and operate the gears B' at both ends of the roll B. Said back shaft G also has fixed thereon a gear l-I, which meshes with a pinion h on the operating-shaft I', whereon is mounted the drivegearing or friction wheel I.

A feed-table or series of bars J, arranged in front of the bed-roll, serves for supporting the plate P before it is entered into the machine. The rear end of said bars or feed-table inclines upward, so as to direct the plate between the jaw D and the surface c of the bending-formerwhen the plate is moved backward on the feed-table.

A discharging-table or series of bars K is arranged at the back of the machine for receiving the plate after it has been shaped. The rear ends of said bars K can be bent downward to the ioor to serve as skids for sliding the plate away from the machine.

The former C is best provided at its ends with guard-fillets C3, to prevent the surface of the former from closing down solidly upon the bed-roll. These llets are narrow strips of metal of slightly less thickness than the plates to be curved, fitted to the face of the former C at the ends of the pattern-surface adjacent to the gears C2, with their ends secured at the front and rear thereof, as shown, or in other suitable manner. The fillet C3 bears upon the face of the bed-roll and snstains the former when there is no platein the machine. At the rear end of the fillet there is arranged a lifting-lug C4, or wedge-shaped piece, that separates or opens the space between the bed-roll and former when the latter is swung to its extreme forward position, and thus gives ample room for operation of the jaw D and for entering the edge of the plate thereto. The shank of the lug C4 and the rear end of the fillet C8 are passed through a loop or eye fixed on the former C, and retained in connection therewith by a key or wedge c5 at the back thereof, as indicated in Figs. 5, (i, and S. The pitch-line of the gearsegment C' can be made to conform to a line of motion corresponding to the offset plate C2 or wedge-shaped lugs C4, if desired.

In the hinging-connection of the jaw D to the former C the bolts d. are best fitted with countersunk or beveled heads, so as to lie flush with the plate D, and the openings in the jaw-plate somewhat elongated front and rear (see Fig. 4) to allow free swinging action of the plate upon said bolt-lgeads. The bolts are provided with jam-nuts d', and can be adj usted for giving greater or less space between the jaw and former-surface to accommodate thinner or thicker plates. A series of springs S, fixed to the former,servc to press the j aw-plate outward against the heads of the bolts cl, and also to give increased gripping force to the jaw.

L indicates pressure adjusting or set screws, arranged in the head-pieces A2 of the uprights or housings for forcing down the boxes a2, which carry the journals of the former to give the bending-pressure. Springs Z can be arranged between said screws L and the j onrnal-boxes a2, (see Fig. 3,) or the screws can turn down solid upon the boxes, as desired. Pressure-levers M are preferably combined with the boxes of the former, as shown in Fig. l, by means of which yielding pressnre can be applied. Said levers are hinged or fnlcrumed to the head-pieces A2 on the uprights, and have struts or knuckle-joint arms m extending from said levers near their fulcrums to the tops of the journal-boxes. To the longer arm of said levers are attached weight-carriers n, on which weights N can be placed to give any desired amount of pressure on the former to effect the proper bending action and to permit yielding action in case such pressure is exceeded.

O O indicate bearing-rolls mounted upon the bed-frame for supporting the center of the bed-roll B, to prevent the springing of the said roll by the working-pressure, which is quite severe, as in practice, for bending ordinary road-scraper blades, a former and bed-roll of about nine feet in length, more or less, are employed.

The machine operates by backward and forward rotation of the bed-roll B and former C, which motion is effected through the gears B' G', shafts G, gears H h, shaft I', and friction-wheel I. For transmitting the drivingpower thereto, I employ a pair of frictionrolls R R', in combination with the frictionwheel I and operating-shaft.

An oscillating frame T is mounted on the end frame by a central axis t, adjacent to the wheel I, and the friction-wheels R and R are supported in bearings on the respective arms of said oscillating frame. The arbors of the friction-wheels R R' are provided with pulleys R2 and R3, onto one of which Rga direct bello' runs from the driving-pulley V on the mill-sh aft, and onto the other one Rsa crossed belt r' runs from adriving-pulley on the millshaft. Suitable shipping mechanism T' is combined with the oscillating frame T to give' movement thereto for forcing either the friction-wheel R or R' into engagement with the friction-wheel I, thereby rotating said fric` tion-wheel and operating the bending mechanism in either one direction or the other, as desired.

A latch or stop device U is preferably arranged in connection with one of the gears B' or in other suitable manner, for retaining the mechanism when the bending-former is at its forward position, so that t-he mechani ism will not accidentally revolve out of place by reason of the weight of the former standing at one side of its central axis. Said stop mechanism is thrown oif when the operatinggear is pnt into action.

The operation is as follows: 'lhe former C IOO IIO

being set at its extreme forward position, lso that the lifting-lugs C", at the rear end of the fillets C3, are wedged between the former and bed-roll, thus lifting said former from the bed-roll sufficiently to permitthe Working of the jaw D, the plate of metal P, which has been previously properly heated, is brought from the furnace and placed on the feedapron, with its side parallel with the bending-form. An attendant then, by pressing down the lever F, opens the jaw, and other attendants slide the plate P backward on the teed-table,brin ging its edge between the bedroll and former and int-o the jaw. The attendant then releases the lever, and the Weight ot' the bar E causes the jaw to close upon the edge of the plate, gripping it firmly between said jaw and the surface of the former or the offset bar fixed thereon. The swinging frame l` is then operated by the shipper T', bringing the friction-roll R into contact with the friction-Wheel I and causing revolution of the operating-gearing,

whereby the-bed-rolls and former are rolled backward and the plate P is pressed and bent against the die or pattern-surface c of the former C, and thereby caused to assume the shape of the said pattern-surface. `When the plate has been rolled through the machine, so that its front edge is back of the bed-roll, the attendant presses down the lever F and opens the jaws D, thus allowing the plate to fall upon the discharge-table K, Where it is seized With. tongs by the attendants and removed from said table to any suitable place of deposit. After the plate is released from the benders, the attendant shifts the oscillating frame, so as to bring the friction-roll R into contact with the friction Wheel and thereby reverses the action oi' the operatinggearing, which rolls the bending-former and bed-roll back to their first positions, ready to receive another plate, which in turn is Worked through the machine and bent or curved in like manner to that above described.

By means of this machine curved plates for road-scraper blades or other similar plates can be quickly and conveniently shaped, and in case of scrapers having an offsetting edgeseat, or short bends therein, said offset is formed at the same operation which imparts the curvature to the plate, for Which purpose a longitudinal ridge or groove is made along the bed-roll to match the edge of the plate C2 When the latter is used.

In the present instance I have shown a cylindrical bed-roll for bending or pressingthe plates against the pattern-surface of the former; but it is apparent that with the backward and forward rotating motion the entire circumference ot such roll is not used, and it is therefore obvious that a segment of a roll or a cam-shaped bender to match the former C might be employed in similar lnanner in lieu of the bed-roll ot complete or full cylindrical shape.

I claim as my invention to be secured by Letters Patent-w I. In a plate-bending machine, the swinging die or former, having its pattern-surface shaped to the curvature of a road-scraper blade, the swinging jaw-plate arranged along the rear edge of sai-d former, connected thereto by adjustable hinging-studs, and provided with weighted arms that force said jaw-plate toward the former-surface for retaining the Work thereon, and a lifter for opening, the jaw, in combination with the bender-roll over which the forming-surface travels, interinatching teeth that connect the former and bender-roll, and operating-gearing fixed on the bender-roll axles for imparting rotative movement to said bender-roll, all substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. In a machine for the purpose specified, the combination of the former C, provided with the gripping-jaw' D and jaw-operating lever, the bed-roll B, journaled on the housing-frame and connected by gears b and C With said former, the roll-operating gears B', and the shaft G, having pinions G that mesh with said roll-operating gears, all substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for the purpose set forth, the combination of the frame having uprights d and heads A2, the bed-roll supported in the stationary boxes a', the former C, supported in movable journal-boxes c2 between said uprights, the presser-levers M, fulcrumed on the heads, and the struts m and Weights N, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

et. In a machine for the purpose specified, t-he combination of the bed-roll B and the former C, geared together and provided withV the gripping-jaw D, the feed-apron J at the front of said roll disposed for directing the edge ofthe plate between said jaw and the former-surface, and the discharge-apron Ii, disposed for receiving the plate after it has passed through the machine, substantially as set forth.

5. In. a machine for the purposes specified, the combination, With the bending-former, bed-roll, and their opera-tin Opshafts and gearing, of the main friction-wheel I, the oscillating frame T, supported on a center arbor, the oppositely-operative friction-Wheels R and R', having their arbors mounted on said oscillating frame and respectively provided with pulleys R2 and R3, that receive driving-belts for moving in opposite directions, and a shifting mechanism, whereby either of said driv-y ing friction-wheels R or R is brought into contact with said main friction-Wheel, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

6. In a machine for the purpose speciiied, the combination-of the former C, the gripping-jaw D, the ooi'inecting-bolts d, the jawoperating arms e, Weight-bar E, lifter Il", and the springs S, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

7. In a machine for the purpose specified,

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the rolling-former having the curved surface c, and the removable longitudinal rib or bar C2 for offsetting the edge-seat in a scraperblade, in combination with the gripping-jaw D, bending-roll B, pressure-screws L, and operating-gearing, substantially as described, for imparting motion thereto, as set forth.

8. In a machine for the purposes set forth, the guard-band llet C3, in combination with the former C, having pattern-surface c, and bed-roll B, geared for rolling action in cor.- j unotion therewith, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a machine for the purpose specified, the guard-band fillets C3 ind liftingdngs C4, in combination with the former C, provided with a gripping-jaw, and the bed-roll b, geared thereto, substantially :is and for the purpose set forth.

l0. In zt machine for the purpose specified, the combination of the former having the curvedA pstternsurfaee, the offset bar C2, attached thereto, the gripping-jaw hinged to said former by adjustable connections, the jaw-operating mechanism, and the bed-roll having a longitudinal groove or depression and geared or connected for operation in unison with said former, substantially as set forth. fitness my hand this 29th day of April, A. D. 1889.

GEORGE WARNER TAFT. Titnessesz S. JONES PHILIPS, N. E. VooRHEEsA 

